Ulquiorra's background
by Sayura22
Summary: Ulquiorra's past, present, and future.
1. Chapter 1

Ulquiorra Cifer, the fourth Espada in Sosuke Aizen's army. He was not always known by this name. The fourth Espada was known for his despair, which perhaps was a result of him ultimately committing suicide in his past life over his lost love. Perhaps there were other factors that drove him to despair. Perhaps he had a strict family and was told to uphold tradition. There are many possibilities. Let us examine one of them…

The fourth Espada always gave off an air of grace. The way he spoke and behaved hinted that he used to be someone of important status in his past life. It's possible that he wasn't human, but a soul with powerful spiritual pressure who had already been residing somewhere in the Soul Society. Ulquiorra was a kind-hearted soul. He knew that others looked upon shinigami and hollows as different as day and night. Despite this, he wanted to form an alliance between the Soul Society and Huecdo Mundo. He was even against the extermination of the Quincys. Ulquiorra's views were so different from the tradition that he was raised to uphold, it resulted in conflicts between him and his family.

While trying to get his family to see things from his point of view, Ulquiorra met a village girl who became the love of his life. This village girl was the former life of Inoue Orihime. After several meetings, Ulquiorra revealed his true identity to her. She was shocked at first, but did not criticize herself for daring to love him. The two made plans to be together forever. However, Ulquiorra's parents found out he had been seeing a village girl and were furious. His father ordered that he stop seeing this girl, but Ulquiorra defied him. One night he snuck out of his home to see her but was met with resistance from the guards. After a bit of fighting he was able to slip past them but was apprehended by his father who tied him to the spot with kidou. Ulquiorra was unable to break away. He resented his father.

Ulquiorra became a prisoner in his home. There were guards surrounding his room. He refused to eat and drink (resulting in his arrancar form being pale and skinny). His parents decided to arrange a marriage for him in order to make him forget about his love. While everyone was busy with the wedding preparations Ulquiorra was able to escape. He had already decided to sacrifice everything that he was and will be all for the sake of love.

He came to the village of his love only to learn that she passed away and had already been buried. Grief overcame him as he found his way to her tombstone. Tears flowed as he cried out for her (the tears in his arrancar form). There was nothing left for him. He had abandoned what he was born to be and what he would've become, and he had lost the one person he loved. He unsheathed his zanpaktou and stabbed himself in the chest (the hollow hole).

Due to Ulquiorra's mass spiritual pressure he was able to maintain most if not all of the memories of his past life, but he had lost his heart. Ulquiorra was able to become an arrancar without the help of Sosuke Aizen. Despite being a hollow now, Ulquiorra did not give up his dream of uniting Huecdo Mundo and Soul Society. He traveled throughout Huecdo Mundo and gathered supporters. During the time he was gathering supporters, he heard that Aizen was gathering arrancars on his side to start a war. Ulquiorra did not like Aizen's manipulative and bloodthirsty ways. He feigned loyalty to Aizen and joined his army in order to infiltrate his forces. Ulquiorra knew of Aizen's ability to create illusions. Ulquiorra's right eye would see what others under hypnosis saw. His left eye, after being crushed and regenerated, would be immune to Aizen's ability. Ulquiorra's plan to spy on Aizen was put on hold when Ichigo's new hollow form caused him to activate his regenerative abilities. As he turned to ash, memories of his past love flooded his mind. Looking at Orihime and reaching his hand out to her, he remembered who she was. Ulquiorra went through a "rebirthing" stage. He left Las Noches and went back to his supporters to inform them of his findings.

On the dome of Las Noches, Uryuu was healed by Orihime and went to join Byakuya and Kenpachi in the fight against Yammy. Orihime attempted to use her powers to resurrect Ulquiorra, but nothing happened. She wept, believing that she couldn't do anything. It was through no fault of hers. What was never dead to begin with cannot be brought back to life…


	2. Chapter 2

A harsh wind blew. The moon was obscured by the sand that was racing across the region. A sandstorm was brewing. To those who were foreign to the land, the storm would have sent them scurrying for safety. However, to those who have called this land their home, the occurrence of a sandstorm was as natural to them as the never changing moon.

Candles illuminated an otherwise pitch black and spacious room. From these candles about half a dozen or so silhouettes could be seen. All were formally dressed. They were seated on opposite ends of the room facing each other.

"It would appear that this Sosuke Aizen has gathered some of his soldiers and left for the human world," said an elderly male voice.

"He plans to start the war now?" asked another male.

A female's voice interrupted him. "Do you think he will succeed? He doesn't have us on his side after all."

"The outcome will be difficult to predict. However…" The owner of the first voice trailed off. He rose from his seat and moved towards the double-doors as if he wished to leave. About halfway to the doors he paused and turned back to face the others. "All of us in this room made a vow to bring upon change, not only to this world, but to the Soul Society as well. In this way everyone shall benefit. We, under the command of our ruler, shall defend all that we have not only for our sake, but for the sake of those we have yet to find common grounds with. Our ruler has deemed Sosuke Aizen as an enemy. When the orders come for us to fight, we must look past the differences of others and unite in this common goal. "

The listeners quietly nodded.

The silence was broken by the creaking of a door. All eyes turned to the entrance where a young female stood. "My lords and ladies." Her voice was composed, yet had a slight hint of urgency. She placed both hands in front, with one hand on top of the other, and bowed deeply. "I beg your pardon for my interruption, but His Majesty has just returned."

A moment of stunned silence. Suddenly they all rose from their seats and exited at a brisk pace. They assembled in the main hallway.

The main doors were thrown open. The sandstorm had ceased and moonlight streamed in. A figure slowly advanced towards the group.

Everyone hastily threw themselves onto the floor. "Your Majesty!"


	3. Chapter 3

The captains and viazards were struck. They were desperately clinging onto life. General Yamamoto and Aizen were caught in a deadlock. Ichigo dashed forward, his sword swinging sideways. Without taking his eyes off of Yamamoto, Aizen pointed a finger in Ichigo's direction. Ichigo felt like something was tugging at his body. He looked back and saw the gargantua enveloping him.

***

The comrades in Las Noches had defeated Yammy. Kenpachi thought that it had been a good fight. Byakuya was indifferent. Both captains were injured, but the injuries were not life-threatening. Rukia and Renji both praised Byakuya as Yachiru jumped onto Kenpachi's shoulder. Captain Mayuri congratulated them, stating that he could now freely analyze his specimens without interference.

"Would you two and Nemu transport the fallen Espadas and arrancars back to my lab?"

"I refuse," replied Byakuya. Kenpachi's answer was the same.

As Mayuri was going through his mind on how to get them to comply with him, a gargantua suddenly opened under the fake sky of Las Noches. Ichigo came falling out.

"Ichigo!" Rukia, Chad , and Uryuu ran towards him. Ichigo picked himself up from the ground. He cursed.

"Ichigo, what happened?"

"We need to go help them. Aizen and old man Yamamoto are fighting. The old man's been injured."

Everyone's eyes widened at his words. Rukia implored Mayuri to open up another gargantua from the machine that he found. As the machine started up, it suddenly died down.

"Oh? What's this?" Mayuri wondered. He bent down to examine the machine.

"What's the matter?"

"Hm…looks like this is broken," the captain replied casually.

Except for Byakuya, Yachiru, and Kenpachi, everyone's face fell. "But…but…you can fix it, can't you?" Renji was trying hard not to panic.

"Hmm…"

Nearly all of them had their eyes glued to Mayuri and the gargantua opener. Ichigo's eyes darted left and right. "Where's Orihime?"

"She's still on top of that dome." The substitute shinigami's gaze followed to where the quincy pointed.

***

Orihime had just attempted to use her powers to resurrect Ulquiorra, but nothing happened. Tears flowed from her eyes. "Orihime…" The girl swiftly wiped her tears away and turned to face the person who said her name.

"Ichigo, you're back…"

The orange-haired boy was at a lost for words. He knew that he was the cause of Orihime's sadness. If only he hadn't lost control to his inner hollow. He wished that things had turned out differently.

An uncomfortable silence came between the two.

Eyes downcast, Ichigo decided to break the silence. "Orihime, the others are down there. We should go to them."

Orihime lowered her gaze as well and nodded. She walked toward the orange-haired boy. A faint breeze blew by. Orihime froze and let out a slight gasp. She distinctly heard someone faintly saying her name. She looked back but no one was there.

"What is it?"

The girl looked away. "Nothing."

***

"What?! No way! You mean we're stuck here until that contraption is fixed? But you don't even know how long that's going to take. We could be stuck here the rest of our lives!" Ishida's fear was even more evident than Renji's.

"You're so noisy. I have a feint heart. The more you shout at me, the weaker my heart will get. My hands are trembling right now. I'm liable to make mistakes. So keep shouting at me."

Ishida was about to argue with the scientist, but a hand on his shoulder from Chad stopped him.

Ichigo appeared with Orihime. Rukia relayed the information about the broken machine to them. The substitute shinigami cursed this unfortunate event. He had been a witness to the fighting that was currently going on in fake Karakura Town. Although his stay had been brief he knew the terror that Aizen was capable of unleashing. It was only a matter of time before it was too late for his allies there.

Rukia noticed that Orihime was staring off into space. She asked if the human girl was alright. Ichigo's train of thought was broken and he also stared at her.

"I'm fine."


	4. Chapter 4

There was nothing they could do. Ichigo and the others were stuck in Hueco Mundo with no way back to the human world until Mayuri could repair the machine. Renji suggested that they rest and recover their strength. There was no doubt that the battles had physically drained them. Only Byakuya and Kenpachi felt the need to be on their feet. The two captains decided to scout the area and told the others to stay and rest.

The comrades chose to rest at the bottom of a pillar that had not been damaged by the recent battle with Yammy. They were unsure of how much time had passed by since they first entered this desert land. However, they were certain that an even more dangerous battle was ahead. There was no use fretting about their current situation. One by one they drifted off into slumber.

***

Orihime awoke with a start. _That voice! I'm certain it's him! _She looked around. Everyone was fast asleep. Without disturbing her friends, the orange-haired girl got up and walked out across the vast desert plain.

Oblivious to how far she had gone, Orihime was soon standing at the entrance of a cave. She hesitated. Slowly, she took a few steps forward. The interior was spacious. There was no telling how far the cave reached. The girl let out a slight gasp and stopped in her tracks. A silhouette of a person stood in front of her. The figure advanced slowly. His profile was made visible by the light shining in from the mouth of the opening.

***

Ichigo rubbed his eyes and opened them. He saw Chad, Uryuu, Renji, and Rukia deep in slumber. _Where's Orihime?! _ He stood up and looked around. There were traces of her spiritual pressure coming from one direction. The substitute shinigami dashed off.

***

"It is you." Tears welled up in the orange-haired girl's eyes. She extended her right hand out. The person before her, one whom she thought had long gone, did the same. Their fingers interlocked. Unable to hold back any longer, Orihime allowed the tears to flow freely down her face.

"Why do you cry?"

"I'm so happy. I thought – I thought I wasn't strong enough – to bring you back. Ulquiorra, I --" She buried her face into the white fabric of his jacket.

_She tried to bring me back?_ The arrancar's left arm wrapped around the young woman's waist. He placed his his right hand behind her head and held onto her. Ulquiorra waited until Orihime had composed herself a bit before speaking. "I'm here, and I must thank you."

Orihime removed herself from his embrace and looked into his face. "Me?"

Ulquiorra nodded. He unzipped his arrancar jacket, revealing the skin on his chest.

"Wha –?! Your hollow hole. It's gone!"

"Yes, because of you I have regained my heart and the remainder of my memories. Thank you, Orihime."

The girl's eyes widened.

"What is it?"

"It's the first time."

"Hm?"

"The first time you ever called me by my name."

A sensation of delight crept into the arrancar's heart. _Ah, yes. I remember this feeling...from a long time ago. _"Orihime, there is something that I must tell you. It concerns us both."

***

Ichigo raced across the sand, his mind intent on finding Orihime. He felt her spiritual pressure growing closer and closer. At the same time there was another spiritual pressure that he was also closing in on. _What the –?! This reiatsu! But it can't be! _Thoughts of one of his most intense battles filled his mind. Ulquiorra Cifer had been a formidable enemy. Ichigo remembered how Ulquiorra had tried to tell him to give up the fight over and over again, but the shinigami was persistent. He recalled Ulquiorra going into his segunda etapa form and blowing a hole into his chest. When Ichigo regained consciousness he saw a badly injured Uryuu and Ulquiorra. Before he could atone for what his inner hollow had done to the Espada, Ulquiorra's body had gradually dissolved into ash. Since then the orange-haired boy had been filled with regrets. He never had the intention to kill anyone. Ichigo's heart was filled with grief, that is, until he felt the familiar reiatsu.

***

Bewilderment was evident in Orihime's eyes. The pale arrancar had just finished telling her about their past. Everything was foreign yet familiar at the same time. "I see. Do you plan to finish what you wanted to do in your past life?"

"I do."

"I see."

Ulquiorra's emerald-colored eyes continued to gaze into Orihime's. He slowly extracted a hand from his pocket and placed it onto the girl's cheek. "That and much more."

The young woman's face turned scarlet as she watched him leaning closer and closer until his lips made contact with hers. _A village...small children...flowers..._She pressed her lips against his. _A young man's raven-colored hair rustling against the wind...the warmth of his hands..._He laid her down, their lips never parting. Their arms wrapped around each other. _Promises of the future...separation...reunion..._

A whispered name involuntarily escaped the girl's mouth. "Rashifa..."

***

Two forces. Once separate, now intertwined. One pulled. The other pushed. Then they alternated. The first one pushed. The other pulled. Then they both pulled and pushed. _What's going on?! _thought Ichigo. He sped up.


	5. Chapter 5

Orihime's eyelids fluttered open. She had fallen off into a blissful sleep. Ulquiorra was also in the same state. Her hand reached up and brushed against the arrancar's pale face. She noticed how peaceful his features were when he was sleeping. Orihime gazed upon him a moment longer before unwrapping his arms from her body. This woke up the arrancar.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes...my friends are probably waiting for me." She got up and dressed herself. "Ulquiorra, I..." The young woman was torn. Part of her wanted to stay in Ulquiorra's embrace. The other part knew that her friends would be searching for her soon, if they weren't already doing so. She didn't want to worry them. She wanted to get back before anyone could discover that she was missing.

"Do you regret this?"

The question came without warning. "What?"

"Do you regret this, Orihime?" He allowed her all the time she needed to answer.

"No, I don't regret it," she truthfully replied.

Ulquiorra knew that what had just taken place had perhaps frightened the girl, but he saw the sincerity in her words. Truth be told the arrancar was also frightened, but he didn't allow Orihime to see that. He walked up to her and took her hands in his.

"Don't be scared. I know that a lot has happened. I was willing to give up everything I had so that we could be together, but things came too late. Although we couldn't be together in our past lives, I hope that can change now. I'm going to build a new world and I want you to be there when that happens. Orihime, from this moment on you are my wife. All that I have is yours. All that I will have will also be yours. Wait for me, Orihime."

The young woman felt tears threatening to overcome her again. She managed a smile and kissed her new husband.

***

The orange-haired girl left the cave in silence. She knew Ulquiorra was watching over her from the shadows. Not far from the cave, Orihime gasped as a figure stepped out from behind a boulder.

"Ichigo..."

There was a concerned and curious look on the substitute shinigami's face. "Orihime, are you ok?"

Orihime nodded in reply and saw Ichigo looking past her shoulder over at the cave entrance. "Ichigo, let's go," she hurriedly suggested. She did not want the two men to have a confrontation. Memories of their last encounter brought shivers up her back. The young woman walked past her friend at a brisk pace, leading him away from the cave. At one point she stopped and turned around to look at the cave one last time.

***

Rukia, Renji, Chad, and Uryuu had woken up. They all wondered where Ichigo and Orihime had gone. Chad spotted the two as they approached.

"Ichigo. Orihime. Where were you? Captain Kurotsuchi finished repairing the garganta opener. We need to go now," said Rukia.

Everyone tensed at those words. The moment had come for them to face Sosuke Aizen.


	6. Chapter 6

The friends and captains landed on the streets of the fake Karakura Town. Captain Unohana, who was healing the viazards and her wounded comrades, greeted them. There was barely time to return her greeting. At that moment they were intercepted by Gin.

"My my. Look at all these people here. This is interesting."

Ichigo's hands gripped his zanpakuto. He was about to attack when Byakuya intercepted.

"Leave him to us."

Byakuya, Kenpachi, Chad, Uryuu, Rukia, Renji, and Orihime blocked Gin while Ichigo raced to the sky. Once there, the substitute shinigami saw that General Yamamoto had been beaten and had stepped back to nurse his injuries. Others came and surrounded Aizen, but they were in no condition to continue with the battle. Ichigo braced himself in front them, trying to shield them from further harm.

Aizen smiled. "Ah, Ichigo. So you've returned."

The orange-haired teenager gritted his teeth. This man, Sosuke Aizen, had hurt so many of those who were dear to him. Rukia's execution, tricking the captains to go against him, Orihime's abduction; all had taken place because of this one man. He had long ago resolved to defeat him. The substitute shinigami launched into bankai mode and donned his hollow mask.

"Aizen!" Ichigo screamed. He activated shunpo. In the blink of in eye he was in the air above his enemy. He swung his zanpakuto down, and was met with resistance from another zanpakuto. Ichigo's eyes went wide. A surge of emotions raced through him. Shock, disbelief, guilt, and uncertainty. The one who had raised his zanpakuto to resist Ichigo's willingly made the orange-haired boy leap away. An eternity of silence passed as Ichigo looked into the face of the one who had come between him and Aizen.

Ulquiorra Cifer.

"Are you going to protect him, Ulquiorra?" The orange-haired boy sounded dejected.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, do you truly believe you can do anything in your current state?"

Ichigo felt lost for words.

Aizen smiled. "I see you've come, Ulquiorra."

The arrancar placed his zanpakuto back into its scabbard and turned to face the one who called out his name. "Lord Aizen, I have come bearing news from the Vasto Lordes."

General Yamamoto, his remaining fighters, and Kurosaki Ichigo's ears perked up at the mention of the Vasto Lordes.

Aizen was intrigued. "From the Vasto Lordes you say?

"Yes, they wish to pass on a message to you."

"Tell me."

"Grasp the golden mirror in your hand,  
And capture the spring flower,  
Send flowing waters parting,  
To divide the moon.

At the crack of dawn,  
See the blossoms whither,  
As the ice surfaces,  
Let daybreak chase the night away."

Silence enveloped. Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. _That was…_

The smile disappeared from Aizen's face. "What did you say?"

Ulquiorra's emotionless features never faltered. "The Vasto Lordes, whom you have sought to recruit, have decided not to join you."

"What is the meaning of this?"

The arrancar raised his left hand and extended his index and middle finger towards the heavens. "Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudō #75, Gochūtekkan. "

Pillars emerged from the sky and trapped Aizen within.

Everyone's face fell.


	7. Chapter 7

The warriors were recovering from their initial shock. There was Aizen, trapped within a barrier created by kido. However, it was the person who used this kido spell that astounded them the most.

Yamamoto looked at Ulquiorra with keen interest. Never before had he nor any of the others witnessed this feat. His thoughts were the same as the rest. _An arrancar using kido?! How can this be? Arrancars may be half shinigami, but they cannot be born with this ability. It takes training in order to learn kido. Did Aizen teach the Espada this?_

Rumbling filled the air. The pillars crumbled. The one who was trapped inside stood with his zanpakuto unsheathed. "So, it appears you have learned to use kido."

"I have always known it," said Ulquiorra.

"What?"

"If things had not progressed as they had, I would never have regained all of my memories. For that I am grateful to you."

Aizen narrowed his eyes. "Your memories?"

"Yes."

Within the next breath Aizen activated shunpo and flew towards his attacker.

"Look out!" Ichigo instinctively screamed.

Ulquiorra's zanpakuto collided with Aizen's. Yamamoto and the others watched as they displayed their master swordsmanship and speed. An enormous amount of reiatsu filled the battleground. Suddenly, the pale arrancar turned his weapon so that the blade was facing him and thrust it backwards into thin air.

"Hey, what are you –" The substitute shinigami never finished his exclamation.

What was thin air suddenly turned into Aizen. If he had not blocked Ulquiorra's weapon with his own, his chest would've been pierced through. Aizen leaped away in a state of surprise. A brief silence followed.

"So, you can see through my Kyōka Suigetsu." _How did he learn to use kido? Was he a shinigami in his past life?_

They stood poised for another attack. Two impassive faces, each staring into the other. Just as Aizen made up his mind to strike, the appearance of a senkai gate diverted everyone's attention.

The gate slowly opened. Four armed men stepped through, followed by an ornately decorated sedan chair. The sedan was veiled on all sides. It was carried with poles by four bearers, two on the front and two on the back. Another quartet of armed men followed behind the sedan.

Ichigo resisted the urge to shout. Of the four men who first stepped through the gate, there was one person whom the orange-haired teen would recognize anywhere.

_D-D-Dad?!_

Kurosaki Isshin did not acknowledge his son's presence. His expression, like those of the other men, was stern.

General Yamamoto took one look at the crest on the frame of the sedan and dropped to his knee. "His Majesty the King!"

The other shinigamis gasped and hurriedly followed the action of their captain commander.

One of the armed guards stepped forward and looked at Aizen. "Sōsuke Aizen, former captain of the fifth division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad, you are hereby under arrest for treason against His Majesty King Amenoukihashi Izanagi. Lay down your weapon and surrender. If not, you shall be apprehended." All eight warriors stood shoulder to shoulder and unsheathed their zanpakutos simultaneously.

Aizen had always planned to overthrow the Soul King. However, he never expected the king to come looking for him. Sweat trickled down his brow. Now was not the time to engage in further combat. He signaled to Gin. The two of them withdrew from the battlefield. Not a single trace of their reiatsu could be found.

The opponent had retreated. Ulquiorra sheathed his zanpakuto and turned to leave. Suddenly, two of the king's warriors appeared in front of him. It was Kurosaki Isshin and the man who gave the order to apprehend Aizen. The man raised a hand. "Just a moment please."

The silk screen on the sedan chair parted. Out stepped an elderly but able-bodied man in magnificent colored robes. It was the Soul King. His eyes wandered from person to person until they finally rested upon the backside of Ulquiorra.

"It has been such a long time, my son."


	8. Chapter 8

Seconds became eons for those who had heard the Soul King. A faint breeze swept by. Not a single person stirred, yet they were all itching to say something. Finally, the one whom the Soul King had addressed ended the awkward silence.

"The crown prince died a long time ago. What stands before you now is an arrancar, unworthy of Your Majesty's attention." Ulquiorra said this in a monotone with his back turned to the king.

"After all these years you are still angry with me. Can you not forgive me?"

The arrancar had nothing to say.

"If you are truly unable to forgive me, then why did you warn me against danger?" King Amenoukihashi reached into his sleeve and withdrew an envelope. "You sent me this letter to warn me against Sōsuke Aizen's attempt on my life. I recognize your handwriting. If you detested me then why did you do this?"

Ulquiorra's eyes were downcast. He remained quiet.

King Amenoukihashi closed his eyes. "Even if you do not forgive me, you should come back with me. Your mother has missed you."

Perhaps the words had an effect on the arrancar. Or perhaps he realized he couldn't stand in silence forever. Ulquiorra slowly turned and looked him in the eye. He saw an old man with white hair and wrinkles on his face and around his eyes. A tinge of remorse was felt in his heart.

***

"Ichigo, hey there. You're looking well."

Isshin, Ichigo, Chad, and Uryuu were standing in a hallway.

"Dad…" The orange-haired teen was still in a state of shock. He had so much to ask, but was unsure of how to word his thoughts.

"Ah, I understand. It's not everyday that you see someone's father as a shinigami, much less your own." Isshin chuckled, but soon composed himself. "Now that it's come to this, there's no use hiding it from you anymore. Listen carefully, Ichigo."

The substitute shinigami gave his full attention to him.

"Before I came to the world of the living I was a member of His Majesty King Amenoukihashi Izanagi's Royal Guard. The Royal Guards protect the Royal Family and are His Majesty's personal bodyguards. Along with protecting the Royal Family, I was assigned as a teacher to Crown Prince Rashifa. I trained the prince since his youth. His Highness had keen intellect and was a master in kido and swordsmanship. He was also benevolent and would've become a fair and just ruler." Isshin sighed.

"What happened?" asked Uryuu.

"His Highness had an idea. He shared this with the king, but His Majesty did not want that to happen." He paused again.

"This idea…what was it?" Chad wondered.

"Perhaps it's not my place to tell you. I'm sure you'll learn of it sooner or later. Anyway…"

No one objected. They allowed Ichigo's father to continue.

"Not long after, I noticed a change in His Highness. He seemed…distracted. So one day after our training session I brought this up to him. He confided in me that he had fallen in love. The lady whom he'd fallen for, however, was neither of royal or noble birth. I promised His Highness that I would keep his secret safe, but the prince's comings and goings were monitored by the king. Eventually His Majesty discovered the prince's secret. He ordered the prince to be confined to his room and arranged a marriage for him."

Ichigo and his friends were shocked.

"His Highness had a strong will. He refused to consent to the marriage. I visited him during his confinement. He had not eaten since he was locked up and I was worried about his health. The King's orders were absolute. No one, not even I, could spare a word on the prince's behalf. He managed to escape while everyone was busy with preparing for the wedding. A search party was called."

"Did you find him?" asked Ichigo.

Isshin closed his eyes. "We found the prince's body."

"His body?! You mean he – "

"Yes, the prince had died. Instead of a wedding we now had a funeral to attend. To outsiders, the king announced that the crown prince had died of an illness. However, the true cause of death was suicide."

The orange-haired teen bit his lip.

"Shortly after the funeral, His Majesty summoned me to a private meeting. His Majesty was in a state of depression. He blamed himself for his son's death. The king believed that his son's soul was out there somewhere and gave me the task of searching for it. One of my searches lead me to the human world where I met and fell in love with your mother."

Father and son stared at each other.

"I had fallen in love with a human woman. It was a difficult situation for me as I remembered what it was like for the prince to be in a forbidden relationship. In the end I abandoned my king, my comrades, and willingly gave up my powers in order to be with your mother."

"But you've regained your powers now, haven't you?" Chad inquired.

"Yes. His Majesty requested my service and restored my powers. That is why I am here."

An attendant approached and bowed to them. "His Majesty will see you all now."

Isshin and the others followed the attendant. They halted before a pair of doors with gleaming rivets.


	9. Chapter 9

The doors swung inwards. Isshin, his son, and the others followed the attendant across a polished, tiled floor as the doors closed behind them. The attendant bowed before the Soul King who was seated upon his throne.

"Your Majesty." Isshin knelt upon the floor and bowed low. Seeing his father in this position, Ichigo likewise dropped to his knees. Chad and Uryuu mimicked his actions.

The Soul King dismissed the attendant with a wave of his hand.

"Be at ease."

"Yes, Sir." The four of them stood up.

The king's eyes went from his royal guard to Ichigo. "Kurosaki Isshin, this is your son?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. This is my son, Ichigo."

"I see the resemblance. You must be proud to be a father. To bring a child into the world and to watch his life progress brings much joy. It is even more of a blessing for those who are able to have their children and their children's children with them during their final years." The king was unable to continue. He placed a hand over his eyes.

Isshin was worried. "Your Majesty, please do not distress yourself."

King Amenoukihashi raised his other hand. "I am alright." When the king composed himself his eyes fell upon Uryuu. "Are you a quincy?"

Uryuu was a bit surprised at being addressed. "Yes, Sir. I am a quincy, one of the last of my kind."

"Years ago when the war broke out between the shinigamis and the quincies, my son had advocated on behalf of your people. He wanted both sides to avoid conflict. I told him that it was not the concern of the Royal Family to be meddling in such affairs. In the end your people suffered many casualties."

Uryuu did not know how to reply to this news.

"I have heard of the four humans who made an uninvited entrance into Soul Society, but here I see only three. Where is the fourth person?"

Before anyone could put together a thought the huge doors swung open again. The substitute shinigami and his friends turned to find Ulquiorra and Orihime. As the two made their way forward, Isshin once again knelt and bowed. This time, Ichigo and the others felt a little unsure of themselves, but a quick glance from Isshin made them kneel as well.

The arrancar's eyes never wavered from the Soul King. "The fourth person whom you seek. Inoue Orihime. My wife."

Ichigo and the others simultaneously jolted their heads up. Isshin made a low coughing sound, signaling to them to keep quiet. Now was not the time for interrogations.

The young woman knew she'd have some explaining to do later. Her eyes lingered on the surprised faces before finding their way to the king. Orihime smiled at him.

***

Chad, Uryuu, and Ichigo were sitting in a dining hall. Servants came and left, leaving behind an array of delicious food and drink.

"Is this…all for us?" Ichigo stared at everything in awe. There was enough food on the long table to feed an entire village, yet the three of them were the only ones present. Despite the alluring scents from the meals, the orange-haired teenager could not help but feel bombarded by the recent events. Thoughts of his father, Ulquiorra, Aizen, and Orihime kept replaying in his mind. His friends noticed the change in his demeanor.

"Ichigo, where did your father go?" asked Chad.

"Don't know. Said he had something to do and told us to come here to have a bite."

"Should we start without him?" questioned Uryuu.

"Uh…"

Chad picked up his chopsticks and ate from his bowl of rice. "Mmm…delicious."

The two made up their minds to join him. Uryuu took a sip from his cup of tea while Ichigo tasted a bun. He had no idea how hungry he was until after the first bite. Within a matter of seconds the bun had disappeared from his hand. The teen didn't finish chewing thoroughly before grabbing another bun and taking a bite out of it.

The doors to the dining hall opened. A young woman in a crimson and white multi-layered robe stood at the entryway. Gold hairpins with sparkling gems adorned her hair. Her lips were colored red. There was a touch of rouge on her cheeks. She was beautiful.

With his mouth full of food, Ichigo presently gasped and choked. Chad and Uryuu were snapped back to their senses.

"Are you alright?" The woman leaned over to him.

The orange-haired teen pounded himself on the chest in an effort to force the food down.

Uryuu saw that his friend's tea had been untouched and hurriedly passed it to him. "Drink this!"

Ichigo grabbed the cup and gulped its contents down. His coughing gradually subsided.

"That was a close call. You looked like you were about to die," said Chad.

Ichigo regained his breath and stared into the eyes of the woman in front of him.

"O-O-Orihime?"

"I'm glad you're alright, Ichigo."

Uryuu and Chad also had their eyes on her. If it were not for her hairpins they probably would have never recognized the girl. Orihime straightened her posture and allowed them to look her over. Standing behind Orihime were two female servants.

"Um…uh…"

The young woman blinked and looked at them with an innocent face. "Oh! You must be wondering where I got these clothes. Um…you see…Ulquiorra's mother gave them to me. She's a very sweet lady. She gave me a lot of other things too but…um…aren't they nice?" She twirled around once.

The transformation Orihime had gone through made them all speechless.

Orihime turned to the two servants. "Oh, thank you for showing me the way here. You've been very kind. You can go now."

"We have been commanded by Her Majesty the Queen to serve Your Ladyship and must be with you at all times," said one of the women.

Orihime smiled. "I'll be alright. You can go now, really."

A look of terror crossed their faces and they immediately dropped to their knees. "Please do not send us away! If Her Majesty finds that we've been dismissed we may be punished! If Your Ladyship has been displeased with us somehow then please punish us, but please do not send us away!" They were on the verge of tears.

"No no! Please don't be upset! I didn't know you weren't allowed to leave me." Orihime was flabbergasted. She knelt and tried to console the two, but her action alarmed them. They pressed their foreheads on the cold floor and repeatedly asked for forgiveness.

The three men looked on in astonishment. Uryuu shielded his face with the backside of one hand and leaned towards Chad. "Are all palace servants like this?"


	10. Chapter 10

A gentle breeze was blowing. All around, the leaves of the trees and the blades of the grass danced and swayed. Red, blue, orange, indigo, brown, green, pink, and white. These colors could be seen as far as one's eye could view. A few petals fell off from a cherry blossom tree. Emerald-colored eyes watched as the petals drifted closer and closer, until they fell upon the observer's outreached hand. Vibrant and pale. The observer noted how much the color of his skin contrasted with the cherry blossoms. He was lost in thought and did not hear the sound of footsteps approaching until someone called out to him.

"Your Highness." It was the voice of Kurosaki Isshin.

Ulquiorra Cifer turned away from the terrace to find the royal guardsman in a kneeling position several feet from him.

"Your Highness, please forgive me for failing you."

"How have you failed me? What am I to forgive you for?" the former Espada inquired in his monotone voice.

"After Your Highnesses' demise His Majesty gave me the task of searching for your soul. However, I abandoned my mission when I met the mother of my children. I am guilty of putting myself before my king. I have dishonored the embodiment that which is the Royal Guard."

"It is not wrong to follow your heart. You have done nothing that warrants my forgiveness."

Isshin paused to reflect on those words.

"How is your wife?"

The royal guardsman was not expecting that question.

"I trust you two are doing well."

Isshin lowered his gaze. "I thank Your Highness for asking, but regrettably, my wife passed away years ago."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened a fraction before returning to their normal size. "I see." _The lifespan of a human is short. That can deem them as delicate creatures, but in their brief moments of life, they can turn weakness into strength. _He was immediately filled with thoughts about his new wife.

***

Orihime walked from one end to the other, examining the room that was assigned to her in the palace. The sky had darkened. The candles had been lit. The room contained a large, four poster bed in the middle. There was a vanity table and chair next to the bed. Oriental rugs, curtains, and chinaware added a pleasant touch. Many trunks were placed on one side of the grand room. Her doors had been left opened after the servants retreated, and Ulquiorra now stepped in.

The young woman smiled and greeted him. "Ulquiorra." His eyes were fixated on her as she crossed the room to where the trucks were. "Ulquiorra, your mother and I had a nice talk today, and after that she gave me all these wonderful things." Orihime opened one of the trunks to reveal colorful bolts of silk fabric. "Aren't they pretty?"

The arrancar didn't reply. Instead, he just stared at her.

The girl blinked. _Why is he so quiet? _"Um…there's more too." She opened up a second truck and took out a lacquered box. Orihime opened the box and took out a strand of white pearls. "I've never seen anything like this before. It must be worth a lot of money."

Emerald eyes continued to gaze at her.

Orihime placed the pearls back inside. She closed the box, placed it back inside the trunk, and closed the lid. _He's just staring at me…_

The girl faced him once more. "There's so many things here, I don't know if I can fit them all in my apartment. Your mother was too kind. She shouldn't have given me all these things. I don't know if I can use them all."

The silence continued to drag on.

"You look beautiful. That outfit suits you."

"Huh?" Just when Orihime felt lost for words, Ulquiorra's reply saved her. The girl's cheeks began to tingle. Soon she was blushing. "Um...I…" Her words came to a halt as the distance between them got shorter and shorter. He stopped within arm's reach. Then, much to her surprise, he swept her feet off the floor.

"Oh!" Her gaze locked onto his. The young woman continued to blush as Ulquiorra carried her to bed and extinguished the candles.


	11. Chapter 11

They stayed in the Soul King's palace for another two days. By the third day, Ulquiorra announced that he had business to attend to. He was elusive about what it was when asked about it.

Sunset had approached. The king and queen had come to bid farewell to Ulquiorra and Orihime. King Amenoukihashi held out a crest with the royal insignia on it.

"This crest represents the Soul King. The one who bears this has the same authority as I do. Take it."

Ulquiorra's eyes went from the crest to the Soul King. Noticing his hesitation King Amenoukihashi continued, "My son, I know I have caused you great harm in the past. I regret to say that I cannot go back and undo all that I have done in order to make you forgive me. You were, and still are, my heir. Even if you do not forgive me I would still give you my kingdom."

The arrancar gave a slight frown. "Are you certain of that? I will not be the king you envisioned me to be."

"No, you will not." An uneasy silence ensued before the king resumed speaking. "You will be an even greater king than I ever dreamed of."

A strange sensation suddenly welled up in the pale prince's being. He found it difficult to maintain his gaze on King Amenoukihashi. He lowered his eyes to the king's outstretched hand and took the crest. Memories of his discussion with Kurosaki Isshin came flooding back into his mind.

***

"_Your Highness, may I be so bold as to suggest something?"_

"_You may speak."_

"_Ever since Your Highness has departed from this world, His Majesty has been most distressed. He withdrew from most of the court affairs, all the while blaming himself for killing his own son. My prince, what took place between you and your father is now in the past. As there is life, there will inevitably be death. I know that deep down Your Highness must still love your own father. His Majesty has aged, as Your Highness has also changed; but just because these changes have occurred does not mean the bond between a parent and child is severed. Will Your Highness be willing to let the king's conscience plague him up to his final moments?"_

***

"Father…"

The king and queen halted in their retreating steps and turned to look back at their son. Ulquiorra's vision became blurrier with each step that he took towards his parents. The gap between them was bridged when father and son embraced each other. Words were no longer necessary.

***

Ichigo, Isshin, Chad, and Uryuu were standing in front of a senkai gate. The last rays of the sun were on the horizon. As everyone stood marveling at the beautiful scene, Orihime and Ulquiorra approached.

The young woman turned to her husband. "Please stay safe."

He replied with a nod.

"Your Highness." Isshin approached the two. "Please do not worry. I shall ensure that the princess is safe when we return to the human world."

"Very well."

The arrancar's eyes lingered on his wife. Her eyes never left him as he walked past her and tapped the air. A gargantua opened up. Orhime watched his retreating form.

"Orihime."

The young woman turned to Ichigo.

"Don't worry. He'll be alright. Come on. Let's go home."

Orihime smiled. She believed him.

***

Night had fallen. Countless stars dotted the sky. All was quiet in Soul Society, until the appearance of a gargantua ended the silence. Ulquiorra stepped out from the gargantua, his hands in his pockets. The arrancar stared at the towering white building in front of him. Before he could take another step he felt the presence of massive spiritual pressure. There was more than one of them. He turned to the right. Before him were the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad. Their leader took a step forward.

"Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad pay their respects to Prince Amenoukihashi Rashifa."

They simultaneously dropped to their knees.


	12. Chapter 12

The senkai gate opened. Guided by Isshin, Orihime and the others returned to the world of the living without incident. The group landed in a park in Karakura Town. The area was devoid of other human beings.

"Is this town for real?" Ichigo questioned.

"Yes, the real town had been transported back from the Soul Society while we were in the Royal Realm," said his father. "No one will know what had taken place."

"What about Aizen?"

"Since we know about his plan to assassinate King Amenoukihashi, the Royal Guard and the Soul Society are on high alert and are combining their efforts to seek out Aizen."

Isshin turned to the only female member of their group. "Princess Orihime."

The young woman was slightly startled at being addressed this way by the father of her longtime friend.

"The hour is late. My son and I will accompany you back to your residence." He shifted his attention. "You two should get some rest too."

Chad and Uryuu nodded.

"Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad pay their respects to Crown Prince Amenoukihashi Rashifa. Please forgive us for not coming to greet Your Highness in a timely fashion."

This was not how Ulquiorra expected things to be.

The arrancar had purposely hidden his spiritual pressure to avoid detection. Yet they were still able to locate him. Their abilities were not inferior to Aizen's, he noted. Gazing down at their prostrated forms, Ulquiorra knew that it was no use trying to avoid them.

"I have heard about the capture of some of the arrancars from Sosuke Aizen's army. I wish to see them."

General Yamamoto tilted his head up and spoke, "We hear and shall obey." He rose and faced the other captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squad. "Captain Shunsui and Captain Jūshirō, the three of us will lead the way for His Highness. Everyone else shall remain here."

"Yes, Sir!"

The four of them entered the towering white building. Dim torches lighted the hall. The captain commander led the way for his prince. Captains Shunsui and Jūshirō brought up the rear. They halted before a transparent one-way looking glass in the wall. Ulquiorra saw one of his former comrades in a sealed up room on the other side. He contemplated for a moment, then moved on. There were other looking glasses in the building. Behind each one was a view of a bare room, each with a prisoner inside. The rooms were specially designed to dampen the spiritual power of anyone in them. For the most part, no one in Soul Society expected the arrancars to escape from the inside out. Some had lost the will to fight after being taken prisoner. The more violent ones had been chained inside their rooms.

"These are all the arrancars who have been apprehended." Captain Jūshirō was holding a clipboard with some papers, which he now flipped through. "According to the reports, there were three arrancars who were vouched for and determined to be non-violent. They are Dondochakka Bilstin, Pesche Guatiche, and Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. The three are temporarily residing with Kisuke Urahara in the human world."

Captain Jūshirō saw that Ulquiorra continued to stare through one of the looking glasses as he spoke. He was uncertain if the prince had heard him. The captain of the thirteenth division did not say another word. All remained silent.

"When two opposing forces come together there will naturally be one force that rises and one that falls. In this case, it is evident which force has risen. For the one that has fallen, its fate is decided by the victor. Will it be crushed or spared? Or will there be a third force that comes into play to take the place of the defeated; offering to exchange itself for the freedom of the other?"

Everyone heard the hidden meaning behind those words. The captains hastily knelt. "Your Highness, we dare not." It was the captain commander who spoke. "Since its foundation, the Thirteen Court Guard Squad has always served His Majesty the Soul King. We uphold his leadership and commands. If there is anything Your Highness commands from us, we shall obey and carry out your orders."

The sincerity of those words touched Ulquiorra. However, his face displayed a slight frown. "For a long time now, Sōsuke Aizen has been gathering support in Hueco Mundo to wage war against Soul Society and the Royal Realm. I have been a witness to his deeds and possess the power of those you would deem as enemies. If I am not to remain here, how will you determine the true extent of Aizen's abilities?"

Although they had all heard their prince's previous words, none of them grasped their true meaning until now.

"Princess, you have had a long journey. Please rest now. We shall go."

"Wait!" Orihime's hand abruptly reached out to stop them. "I know it's late, but won't you two have some tea? Or how about some hot chocolate? I'll go make some right now." She had dashed off to the kitchen before anyone could refuse.

The young woman returned with three cups of steaming hot chocolate on a tray and set them on the table where Ichigo and Isshin were sitting. She handed each of them a cup. "Drink up!" The two men stared at their drinks, waiting for them to cool down. Orihime was also gazing into her cup. The truth was, she wasn't really in the mood for hot chocolate. She wanted their company. Orihime was afraid her mind would be plagued with uncertain thoughts the moment she was left alone.

"There is no need to worry." Orihime blinked. Her eyes met Isshin's. "The prince knows what he is doing. All you need to do is wait. He will come back to you."

The young woman placed her hands on the table and laced her fingers together. "But…do you think it's possible? Has it ever happened before?"

"Hm?" Ichigo did not understand.

"Ulquiorra told me that he wanted to see a world where hollows and shinigamis could coexist. I know that hollows consume souls and shinigamis purify them. They're two opposites of the spectrum. How will they unite? And even if they do unite, what's going to happen to the shinigamis when they don't have to kill anymore hollows? And what about the hollows? What's going to happen to them?"

The statement and series of questions took Ichigo by surprise. His father, however, remained composed. He took a sip of his drink.

"This hot chocolate is very tasty. With just coco powder and hot water, a drink this good can be produced. To someone who's never had hot chocolate before, their first taste can leave a heavy impact on their decision to have this drink again in the future or not. The drink looks like it does right now, but if you separate it back into its original compositions, you will still get hot water and coco powder. Coco powder can be used as an ingredient in other food as well. Just like hot water is not limited to only producing hot chocolate."

Now it was the substitute shinigami's turn to blink.


End file.
